1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for collecting shellfish such as scallops and hen clams and more extensively mollusca crustaceans that move very slowly at the bottom of a body of water, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for efficiently collecting shellfish without catching infant shellfish in a manner so as to preserve the resources in the sea.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, to collect shellfish in sea, sand at the bottom of the sea is dredged by floating cranes, bucket dredgers and similar bulky apparatus, and the dredged shellfish are separated from considerable quantities of the dredged material. Such a method requires bulky equipment and consumes great amounts of energy. It is very difficult and troublesome to move from one position where a floating crane or dredger is anchored to a new position for additional collection of shellfish. As the zones in the sea to be dredged by the floating crane or bucket dredger are limited to relatively shallow bottoms, it is impossible to collect shellfish at the bed of a deep sea. Moreover, the dredging operation by these mechanical apparatuses deeply penetrates the bottom of the sea and devastates it to an impermissible extent. All shellfish in the dredged material are caught including infant shellfish which must be left behind to insure sufficient shellfish for future catches. The hitherto used method therefore, gives rise to problems in respect to a preservation of resources.
In another conventional method of collecting shellfish, divers don diver's outfits and collect shellfish at the bottom of the sea into bags which are then pulled up to the deck of a ship when the bags become filled. Such a method, however, is inefficient and requires high personal expenses.